Fun Things to Do and Top Attractions to Visit in Santiago (Chile)

February 23, 2021 Mustafa Natalwala 5391 Views

Santiago or Santiago de Chile is the national capital city of Chile and one of the largest cities on the continent. The city is as popular for its places as it is for the mountains surrounding it. Skiing in the Andes is considered to be among the top things to do in Santiago. There are also volcanic mountains and wine valleys close to the city which are part of Santiago’s tourist attractions. You can take any direction from the city and end up in a paradise-like valley with beautiful scenery. As for Santiago’s attractions within the city, there are museums, cultural centers, markets, parks, art galleries, parks, and so on.

Much of Santiago’s sightseeing can be divided into 3 categories: nature, pre-colonial and post-colonial. Popular nature sites to explore when you visit Santiago are situated in the Andes. The mountains are popular for nature exploration as well as skiing. Some of the most well-known places to visit in Santiago, Chile for skiing are Portillo Ski Resort, Valle Nevado Ski Resort, and El Colorado Ski Resort. You can also explore dormant volcanic mountains and beautiful valleys formed by rivers and ravines during Santiago travel. The wineries situated amidst the mountains are also among the popular things to see in Santiago. You can try out Chilean variants of wines and take a look at the traditional ways by which they are made. The mountains were also an important part of Chilean Independence and you will find several historically and culturally significant tourist attractions in Santiago, Chile while exploring the Andes.

Among places to go in Santiago located within the city are Plaza de Armas, San Cristobal, Museum of Memory and Human Rights, Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, La Moneda, Parque Forestal, Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Lucia, and more. We have broken down these places into an itinerary of 5 days. It will help you navigate through Santiago tourist spots. If you only looking to explore the city and not much of the mountains, you can cover all the major attractions by spending 4 days in Santiago, Chile. Though if you wish to truly enjoy the different flavors of the city and its culture, explore as much as you can inside the city and beyond.

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Table of Contents

Explore The Best Tourist Places in Santiago in 5 Days

This section covers a day-by-day breakdown of tourist attractions in Santiago, Chile. The attractions are picked based on the popularity amount tourists who visit Santiago as well as their proximity to one another.

Day 1

1. San Cristobal Hill

This Hill is situated in the center of the city. Among the top things to do in Santiago is hiking up this hill to admire the beautiful sights. The iconic figure of the Virgin Mary atop the hill is one biggest Santiago tourist attractions. You will need about 3 hours or more to explore this hill.

Here I have listed out some of the best activities to do and tours of San Cristobal Hill. You should try any of the below-mentioned activities or tours according to your interest.

2. Santa Lucia Hill

Another popular hill to hike among Santiago attractions is Santa Lucia. This hill is actually a dormant volcano. You can visit popular Santiago sightseeing points such as the Neptune fountain and the Japanese Garden atop this hill. You would need 2 hours at Santa Lucia.

I suggest you should book a City Sightseeing Tour of Santiago to visit Santa Lucia Hill.

Day 2

1. Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts (Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes or MNBA)

The building which houses this museum is known as the Palace of Fine Arts, which was designed by Emile Jequier. The museum houses some of the best works of art by Chilean artists. You will need 2 hours to explore this museum.

2. Chilean National Museum of Natural History (Museo Nacional de Historia Natural or MNHN)

This museum is situated close to the Museum of Fine Arts. It is one of the 3 national museums of the country. Both of these are located in Quinta Normal Park along with many other museums. You can learn a lot about the history and culture of the region at this museum. You will need about an hour to explore this museum casually and 3 hours if you want to explore this museum thoroughly.

3. Railway Museum

The railway museum outlines the history and development of the rail network of the nation. You would need about an hour here.

4. Museum of Memory and Human Rights (Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos)

This museum outlines a dark period in the history of the nation. It is dedicated to the victims of the Pinochet Regime. It is still historically one of the most important places to visit in Santiago. You will need 1 hour to explore it.

I suggest you should book a Guided Tour of the Museum of Memory and Human Rights.

5. The Artequin

This is a museum of antiquities and works of art. You will find some of the most interesting things to see in Santiago at this museum. You will need an hour to explore this place.

Day 3

1. La Moneda Palace

This Palace serves as the office of the President of the country. It is also among the most popular places to visit in Santiago, Chile. You would need 30 to 45 minutes for La Moneda Palace.

2. Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Arts (Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino)

This museum houses a large collection of indigenous arts and historical artifacts from central and south America. The exhibits here tell the story of people and their culture before colonization. You will need at least 2 hours to explore this museum.

I suggest you should book your Ticket to the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Arts in advance.

3. Plaza de Armas

This square is a very lively place to explore among tourist attractions in Santiago, Chile. There are street performers and vendors in the square. You would need 30 minutes to explore this place.

4. Metropolitan Cathedral

This church is the seat of the Archbishop of Chile. The cathedral was heavily damaged during an earthquake and was redesigned by Gioacchino Toesca in the 19th century. You will need about an hour to explore this cathedral.

5. Central Market of Santiago (Mercado Central)

This is the central market of the city. It is mainly known for seafood. There are also several restaurants as well in and around the market. You will need 30 minutes for Mercado Central.

6. La Vega Central Market

La Vega market is the best place to find a variety of fruits and vegetables when you visit Santiago. You will need 30 minutes here.

Day 4

1. Providencia

Providencia is an area known for elegant houses with beautiful architecture. The area is a known cultural place to go in Santiago, Chile. You can explore the area on foot for 30 minutes or so.

2. Barrio Patronato

This neighborhood is popular among Santiago tourist spots as a shopping fair. You can get all sorts of clothing, jewelry, and souvenir items in Patronato. You can easily spend an hour in Patronato.

3. Santiago General Cemetery (Cementerio General de Santiago)

This is one of the biggest cemeteries in all of Latin America. The cemetery is also known for its beautiful architecture and elaborate mausoleums. You will need about 30 minutes for this place.

Day 5

1. Maipo Canyon (Cajón del Maipo)

The beautiful mountains are one of the best places to visit near Santiago for hiking and nature exploration. You would need about half a day for Cajon del Maipo.

I suggest you should book a Full Day Tour of Maipo Canyon in advance.

2. Baños Morales

Banos Morales is known for its natural mud baths and springs. You would enjoy taking a dip after exploring the mountains and valleys. Keep aside an hour or two for relaxing here.

3. Casablanca Wine Valley

If you wish to explore local wine, this is the place to be. You will need a couple of hours to explore the wine valley.

I suggest you must book a Casablanca Valley Wine Tasting Tour in advance.

4. Concha ya Toro

This is another great place to explore local wines while exploring the history of Chilean Independence simultaneously. You will need about an hour for this place.

If you are planning to stay in Santiago for more than 5 days, you can check our exhaustive list of places to visit and top things to do in Santiago in the section below.

Things to do in Santiago

Monuments, Museums & Historical Places to Visit in Santiago

La Moneda Palace
National Museum of Fine Arts
Parque Forestal
Museum of Memory and Human Rights
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art
La Chascona
Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral
Centre Gabreila Mistral
National Museum of Natural History
National History Museum
Mirador Interactive Museum
Cementerio General
San Francisco Church
Estacion Mapocho
Chilean National Library
Museo Artequin
Central Post Office Building
Centro Cultural Matucana 100
Museu de Artes Visuales
Sculpture Park Museum
Palacio Cousino
Museo de Santiago
Templo Votivo de Maipu
Planeterio de la USACH
Museo de la Moda
Museo de Arte Colonial
Castillo Hidalgo
Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception
Railway Museum
Museum of Science & Technology
Children’s Museum
Human Rights Museum

Nature & Wildlife Tourist Spots in Santiago

San Cristobal Hill
Maipo Canyon
Aguas de Ramon Park
Cerro Manquehue Mountain
Santuario de la Naturaleza
El Yeso Dam
Parque Natural Quebrada de Macul
Cerro el Plomo Mountain
Parque Mahuida
Bustamanta Park
Cascada Apoquindo
El Morado Natural Monument
Cerro Provincia Mountain
San Jose Mountain
Bosque Panul
Cerro Pochoco
Puente Nilhue Park
Marmolejo Mountain

Entertainment & Leisure Tourist Spots in Santiago

Parque Tupahue
Portillo Ski Resort
Valle Nevado Ski Resort
El Colorado Ski Resort
Bicentenario Park
Chilean National Zoo
Fantasilandia
Araucano Park
Quinta Normal Park
Funicular de Santiago
Los Dominicos Park
La Parva Ski Resort
O’Higgins Park
Vina Cousino Macul Winery
Buin Zoo
Parque Fluvial
Japanese Garden
Kidzania Santiago
Bicentenario de la Infancia Park
Parque Acuático Acuapark el Idilio
Aventura Park
Balmaceda Park
Almagro Park
Vino Santa Carolina
Villa Grimaldi

Shopping in Santiago

Central Market
Paseo Ahumada
Easton Outlet Mall
Parque Arauco
Alto Las Condes Mall
Los Dominicos Handicraft Village
Buenaventura
Apumanque
Panoramico Mall
Mall del Centro

Offbeat Places & Adventure Things to Do in Santiago

Hiking
Trekking
Mountain Climbing
Cycle Tours
Volcano Tour

Sightseeing in Santiago

Santa Lucia Hill
Plaza de Armas
Sky Costanera
Barrio Bellavista
Costanera Center
Plaza Baquedano
Calle Jose Victorino Lastarria
Alameda Road
Entel Tower
Barrio Paris-Londres
Parque Padre Hurtado
Plaza Nunoa
Calle Bandera
Plaza Brasil
Reyes Park
Paseo Bulnes
Parque Bicentenario de Cerrillos
Primo de Rivera Hill
Bulnes Square
Parques Ines des Suarez
Avenido Isidora Goyenechea

Food, Dining, Restaurants, & Street Food in Santiago

El Hoyo
Aqui Esta Coco
99 Restaurante
Peumayen Ancestral Food
Baco
Borago
Europeo
Bocanariz
Mestizo
Castillo Forestal
Confiteria Torres
La Jardinera
La Piojera
El Huerto
Opera Catedral
Le Bistrot
Chipe Libre
Ox
Jose Ramon 277
La Finestra
Sarita Colonia

Where to Stay in Santiago?

Here we have listed Top Rated Luxurious, Mid-Range and Budget Hotels in Santiago. You can check below listed hotels for your perfect stay in Santiago.

Luxurious Hotels

Mid-Range Hotels

Budget Hotels

Custom Tours Package in Santiago

How to Reach Santiago?

By Air

The fastest option for Santiago travel is via Pudahuel Airport, also popularly known as Santiago Airport. Although the airport’s full name is Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport. You can direct flights to visit Santiago from Toronto, Sydney, Auckland, Melbourne, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Lima, Sao Paulo, Santa Cruz, Mexico City, Havana, Panama City and many more. You can also get flights from European cities such as Paris, London, Madrid, Rome, Frankfurt and so on.

You can get cabs and buses to reach hotels or places to visit in Santiago, Chile from the airport. There are also shuttle buses running from the airport which can drop you at your desired location on a shared-fare basis with other passengers. If you are eligible to drive in Chile, you can also rent a car when you visit Santiago. You can get quirky cars from the airport as well. It would be better if you pre-book for car rentals, otherwise, you would have to adjust with the available options. If you plan to spend 3 or 4 days in Santiago, Chile; then a rental car is a good choice as you will have great freedom of movement at a reasonable cost.

By Road

Bus connectivity in Chile is quite widespread. You can basically get a bus for Santiago travel from almost anywhere in the country. There are also a few international buses available from Argentina which can be considered for Santiago sightseeing.

If you plan to reach places to visit in Santiago by car, you should head for routes 5, 78, 68 or 57. Each of these roads will take you to Santiago tourist attractions and more.

By Water

The city is quite far from the ocean, so there are no direct water routes for Santiago travel.

Image Reference

San Cristobal Hill – David Berkowitz / Flickr
Santa Lucia Hill – Jorge Láscar / Flickr
Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts (Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes or MNBA) – Dan Lundberg / Flickr
Chilean National Museum of Natural History (Museo Nacional de Historia Natural or MNHN) – Romigraphy / Wikimedia Commons
Railway Museum – hectorsmargas / PixaBay
Museum of Memory and Human Rights (Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos) – Jorge Barrios / Wikimedia Commons
The Artequin – Felipe Restrepo Acosta / Wikimedia Commons
La Moneda Palace – Miguel hernandez / Flickr
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Arts (Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino) – Carlos Figueroa / Wikimedia Commons
Plaza de Armas – falco / PixaBay
Metropolitan Cathedral – Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons
Central Market of Santiago (Mercado Central) – Dennis Jarvis / Flickr
La Vega Central Market – Mx. Granger / Wikimedia Commons
Providencia – alobos life / Flickr
Barrio Patronato – Bilobicles / Flickr
Santiago General Cemetery (Cementerio General de Santiago) – Fernando Navarro Urrutia / Flickr
Maipo Canyon (Cajón del Maipo) – Deensel / Flickr
Baños Morales – José Porras / Wikimedia Commons
Casablanca Wine Valley – Winniepix / Flickr
Concha ya Toro – nivaldooliveira48 / PixaBay